Frederick Douglass: “Men of Color, To Arms!”

Audience

Douglass delivered this speech in Rochester, New York, but in broader terms, by titling his speech “Men of Color, To Arms!” Douglass was speaking to the entire free black population of the North. He knew this message would be printed and would function as a rallying cry to encourage blacks’ involvement in the Union effort; additionally, his speech reinforced the convictions of the many northern blacks who had been vocalizing their desires to enlist, pressing against Lincoln’s unsupportive policies since the beginning of the conflict in 1861. In addition, Douglass fully understood that white critics of black enlistment would read his speech, and as a result, they might become more comfortable with the concept of black soldiers. His fervent call for blacks to fight for the Union cause was, in effect, distributed to a national audience.